


A Little Change

by PrincessMuk



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora is oblivious, Also there's random OCs for plot reasons, Alternate Universe - High School, Because its canon, Bisexual Male Character, Bow has two dads, Bow plays tennis, Bullying, Entrapta is autistic, Fluff, Gay Male Character, Glimmer is a jealous best friend, Glimmer is jealous, Hi I love Perfuma, JUST, Kyle has anxiety, Kyle is a nerd, Lots of tennis related injuries, M/M, Mostly because there are only so many named characters in this show oops, Needs Life, Oops, Pining, Seriously people are jerks, The worst is a bruise lol, a tiny bit of angst, because why not, but like, gay as heck, just thought i'd mention it, this ship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2019-09-19 23:00:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17010798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessMuk/pseuds/PrincessMuk
Summary: A few sporting incidents lead to something Bow never would have guessed.(AKA, the high school AU nobody asked for!)





	1. "I Like Your Shirt"

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emma :)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Emma+%3A%29).



> Totally inspired by Emma after we decided this ship needed more fics.

The first thing Kyle ever said to Bow was "I like your shirt".

Being in the middle of tennis practice with the wall in what he'd assumed was a deserted gym after school, Bow hadn't expected the comment. He rose a brow as he quickly turned his head to find the source of the words, seeing only a lanky guy around his age with shaggy blond hair and forest green eyes. Apparently, he'd looked away long enough to lose his footing, because he quickly found himself on the floor in time to see the tennis ball roll past his face and off the court.

"O-oh my God, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to throw you off!" the male squeaked, running over to help Bow get up. Bow gladly took his hand, rubbing his head as he rose with a small groan.

"Ow," he winced, shaking his head a bit. "That should _not_ have hurt as much as it did."

"I'm so sorry, I-I . . . " the guy seemed to panic, still holding onto Bow's hand. He quickly seemed to notice as his eyes widened and he dropped it like hot coals, gripping at the fabric of his shirt as he looked down at the ground awkwardly. "I'm so sorry."

"Dude, it's okay," Bow reassured, offering him a smile even though he was barely looking up from his own feet. "I just was a little surprised to hear . . . you complimented my shirt?"

"Uh . . . " the boy looked up, and Bow thought he may have been blushing, "yeah." After a moment, he continued, "I-I've thought you were pretty cool since I first saw you play tennis a week ago but I felt too awkward to talk to you so I didn't but then Lonnie -- this mean girl in our gym class who always gets partnered with me for basketball and stuff -- told me I was being a wimp and so uh I thought I'd compliment your shirt since it's pretty cool and I mean you don't see too many guys wearing crop tops so . . . yeah."

Bow could only blink, but then he was smiling again. "You know, you don't have to be nervous to talk to me. I don't bite," he gave a small chuckle.

"Yeah, well . . . I'm not really good at the whole making friends thing," the boy admitted. "Nobody really talks to me. When they do, it's usually to tell me what I'm doing wrong," he frowned, as if not meaning to admit that.

"Well . . . " Bow shifted his weight, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, "I don't really know you yet, but I think you're nice."

The boy seemed to light up, smiling as he looked into Bow's eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah!" Bow grinned. "So, I'm Bow. What's your name?"

"Uh, Kyle," the other gave a small smile, scratching the back of his head.

"Nice to meet you, Kyle," Bow squeezed his shoulder lightly, then dropped his hand. He could tell pretty easily that this guy wasn't the type to express his thoughts very well, so he decided to make this easier for the both of them and take the lead. "Do you want to grab a snack with me? Tennis practice has made me starving."

"O-oh, uh, sure!" Kyle nodded, giving a small laugh as he and Bow walked out of the gym.

It turned out that simple snack was the beginning of something Bow would never choose to live without . . .

* * *

Once Kyle got talking, he really didn't stop.

The male was currently ranting on about his favorite sci-fi show (Bow had missed the name, this guy talked so fast), explaining to Bow why his OTP was definitely meant to be the show's endgame before something he said reminded him of the physics of lasers in space and he began speculating about that.

While Bow was having a bit of a hard time following along, he was really enjoying this lunch. Kyle, once he opened up, was just so lively and animated, yet still a bit awkward. Every so often he'd get so excited his hair would fall in front of his eyes and he'd have to brush it out of the way, and for some unknown reason, Bow found it to be something he absolutely adored about the male. They'd met in a pretty weird way, but Kyle was someone Bow really wanted to get to know better.

"And then, you really have to wonder, how do they power all of these ships?" Kyle asked rhetorically, taking a quick bite of the sandwich in front of him. "Like, sure, they have the crystals or whatever, but it seems that  _everyone in the universe_ has access to them, which is impossible since in canon there's supposedly only five sources of them! In the _entire universe_! So, how do they explain even the poorest planets having access to them for their ships? Honestly, it's the most important plot hole in the show, besides that time when Zarak's father told him his mother was alive even though she  _clearly_ died in the flashback in season 5 by the hands of Dryakk himself . . . but I guess the comics introducing the powers of the astral realm sort of explained that, but they should have done a better job in the show."

"Huh . . . " Bow exclaimed softly, giving a slight nod of his head. "You  _really_ know a lot about this show."

Kyle suddenly blushed, as if just realizing he'd been talking for a good ten minutes now. "Oh, uh, yeah . . . Sorry, it probably made no sense to you."

"Well, kind of," Bow admitted. "But it was really interesting. You'll have to show me an episode sometime."

"Really?" Kyle rose a brow. "You want to watch it?"

"I mean, yeah!" Bow smiled. "It sounds cool!"

"Well . . . y-yeah, it is!" Kyle beamed back. "But uh, anyway, I haven't really let you talk."

"Oh, it's fine," Bow told him. "I like listening."

"Yeah, but . . . " Kyle rolled his head as he thought, then looked into Bow's eyes. "How about you tell me about tennis? I saw you playing a few times and it looks fun. You're really good at it."

"Oh, thanks," Bow smiled. "Well, it is really fun to play. It's one of my favorite games, whether I'm playing competitively or just for fun with my dads. I could show you how to play sometime, if you wanted."

"Really?" Kyle seemed to beam, "that would be great!"

"Alright, then we'll do it," Bow said with a decisive nod. He was about to continue, but he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. "Oh, hold on," he said, putting a finger up as he retrieved his phone. It was his pop, he wanted him home soon. "Ah, looks like I have to cut this short," Bow apologized as he quickly responded to his pop. He looked back up at Kyle, "but, we should hang out again soon. This was fun."

"Well . . . I am in your gym class, so I can see you then?" Kyle asked hopefully.

Bow grinned, "yeah, I'll see you then."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have three chapters planned so far for this, but I may end up writing more because there are definitely things that can be added on to the short plot I have so far.


	2. Lunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bow invites Kyle to each lunch with the crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So . . . I have like seven chapters planned so far and five written.
> 
> This is going to be longer than I expected.

The next day, Bow was actually looking forward to gym class. The reason, of course, being that he’d be able to see Kyle again.

Most people might have been embarrassed to be around someone who was so clumsy, someone who fumbled every football they touched and tripped over their own feet every other minute. But in Bow’s case, he found it endearing.

No matter how many times Kyle fell down, no matter how much he failed, he always bounced back and tried again. Bow had seen persistent people, but this was something else entirely.

Bow watched in awe as Kyle ran around the track before class started a few days after their first meeting, his hair moving with the wind as he ran and huffed. When Kyle approached Bow, he slowed down, waving happily to the male. 

“Hey, Bow!” he greeted with a grin, seeming happy with himself. 

“Hey!” Bow waved, mirroring the other’s expression. “How come you’re running already? Class doesn’t start for another two minutes.”

“Oh, well,” Kyle blushed a bit, or maybe that was because he’d been running. “I always try to get a few extra laps in before class. I’m not very good at everything else, but I sure can run!” he chuckled.

He looked so proud of himself, Bow’s heart almost melted. (Which, by the way, was a very weird feeling that caught him off guard for a moment.)

Bow smiled, “well, that’s for sure. You look like a natural out there. Have you tried out for track?”

“Track?” Kyle raised a brow. “Oh, no. I couldn’t do track. I couldn’t handle the pressure. I don’t think I’d ever be good at a competitive sport like you are. 

“Well,” Bow shifted his weight, “I don’t  _ just _ play tennis competitively. It’s actually really fun just playing it with friends. My offer still stands to show you some moves, you know.”

Kyle scoffed a bit, smiling almost apologetically, “I don’t think you’d want to waste your time teaching  _ me _ anything.”

“Dude,” Bow said, placing a hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “I’d be happy to, really. I’m sure you’d be great at it. And it’s tons of fun.”

Kyle was  _ definitely _ blushing now, “okay, sure. I’ll let you teach me.”

“How’s Friday for you?” Bow asked.

“I . . . “ Kyle said, looking at Bow as if something had clicked in his mind. “I’m free whenever you want me.”

Bow could only smile at that, some unknown force telling him to savor this moment, however small or insignificant it seemed. Kyle’s smile really was something special. Bow would do anything to keep Kyle smiling like that forever.

* * *

 

Bow was absolutely elated when he saw Kyle getting his lunch in the cafeteria that day. If Kyle had the same lunch as him, that meant he had more time to hang out with his buddy! Bow practically ran across the cafeteria to catch up to him, grinning a bit mischievously as he suddenly wrapped his arms around the male from behind. 

“Kyle!” he giggled, but Kyle yelped, almost dropping his tray. Luckily, Bow caught it, though he had to get a little closer to Kyle to do so. He gently set the tray back in Kyle’s arms, whose head had turned to see who was hugging him. “Oops, sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“I . . . uh . . . arms,” Kyle squeaked, and Bow’s eyes widened in realization before he let go. 

“Sorry! I should have asked before hugging you,” Bow apologized.

“It’s . . . it’s okay,” Kyle gave him a half smile as he turned fully towards him. “Just surprised me.”

“Yeah,” Bow scratched the back of his head, blushing a bit. “Uh, a-anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with me today? There’s a few other people at my table and I’m sure they’ll like you,” he smiled hopefully.

Kyle seemed to light up before he nodded, “that would be awesome! Way better than sitting on the floor in the bathroom.”

“You . . . You sit on the floor?” Bow rose a brow, feeling a sudden and strong urge to protect this boy from all harm in existence. 

“Well, all the other tables are taken, and I—" 

“SAY NO MORE!” Bow practically yelled, grabbing Kyle’s arm and drag— er,  _ leading _ him over to the table.

Adora waved happily to Bow as Glimmer rose a brow, “who’s this?”

“Everyone, this is my new friend: Kyle. He’s great!” Bow announced as he pulled a chair out for Kyle in between he and Glimmer. Kyle nervously smiled and sat down before setting down his tray.

“Uh, hey,” he gave a small wave.

“Kyle . . . “ Adora hummed. “You look familiar,” she pointed at him.

“Oh, yeah, we had English together last year with Mrs. Weaver and were in the same group for that project on  _ The Great Gatsby _ ,” Kyle reminded her. 

Bow smiled, “wow, I can’t believe you guys already know each other! Perfect, right?”

Glimmer looked at Kyle skeptically before she gave a slow nod, “yeah, totally.”

Bow hoped Glimmer wasn’t getting jealous again. He remembered last time it had happened . . . It had almost cost him his friendship with Perfuma, who he’d met in biology that year, all because Glimmer had assumed they’d be going to the dance together as best friends without checking if Bow already had plans. He couldn’t blame her for assuming, of course -- it had been their plan -- but Glimmer had seemed to forget the very important  _ “unless one of us gets a date” _ part of that plan.

“So, Kyle,” Bow said, turning to his friend as he ate, “have you heard of that new Spider-Man movie coming out? The animated one?”

Kyle’s eyes widened and he nodded enthusiastically, “yeah, I actually have a theory for it! I’m very excited to see it.”

Bow grinned, listening as Kyle explained his theory. He admired Kyle’s ability to come up with such intricate theories with minimal evidence to go off from. Bow was smart enough, but he didn’t think he’d ever be able to spend his time coming up with plotlines based off still pictures and random dialogue from trailers. Besides how much it impressed him, he loved how excited this made Kyle, he knew he’d already thought about it a lot, but that didn’t keep him from enjoying listening to Kyle. 

“And then, I’m pretty sure Miles will—“ Kyle was cut off when a bag dropped onto the table, a certain (jerky) friend of Adora’s plopping down next to it.

“Hey, losers,” Catra grinned, wrapping an arm around Adora.

“Hey, Catra,” Bow crossed his arms. He had no idea why Adora was with Catra -- something about being childhood friends? Whatever Adora’s excuse was, it was _stupid._ Bow could tell Catra had some angsty past surrounding her, which was probably why she acted so rude, but that didn’t excuse her slacking off and never caring about anyone besides herself . . . and _maybe_ Adora, but Bow wasn’t even sure of that sometimes. 

“Oh, I see somebody  _ new _ has joined our table,” Catra said, leaning on the table as if to get a better look at Kyle. “Hm, this one yours, Bow?” she asked, head quirking a bit as her gaze snapped to him.

“Well . . . I brought him here, if that’s what you mean,” Bow answered, putting a hand on Kyle’s shoulder.

Catra gave a small giggle, “interesting.” She looked at them both for a moment, before she leaned back again, seeming satisfied with whatever she’d come up with inside her mind. 

“ . . . anyways,” Bow turned to his friend, keeping his hand in place. “Kyle, you were saying?”

Kyle looked at Catra for a moment before he turned back to Bow, expression unreadable. He sighed, took a bite of his sandwich, and then he was smiling again. “Yeah. So, Miles . . . “


	3. Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bow invites Kyle over, cuteness ensues.

“Hey, Kyle!” Bow huffed as he ran through the hall, trying to get his friend’s attention after classes. “Kyle, wait up!”

“Huh?” Kyle turned, scanning the crowd before he locked eyes with Bow. He soon smiled, moving out of the flow of hallway traffic and waiting near a locker. 

Bow quickly caught up to him, cheeks a bit red as he leaned against the locker for support. “Hey, man! Sorry, I just realized I didn’t have your number!”

“My . . . my number?” Kyle blinked, seeming astonished.

“Uh, yeah? Your phone number?” Bow raised a brow.

“Oh, wow . . . “ Kyle was beaming now, “nobody’s ever wanted my number before besides for a group project. I-I’ll give it to you right now, here!”

Kyle fished out his phone, pulling something up before he held it up for Bow, the screen displaying his contact information. Bow smiled and quickly typed it into his phone, shooting Kyle a  _ “hey, dude!” _ to test the number before he put his phone back into his pocket. 

“By the way, do you want to hang out after school?” Bow asked after Kyle’s phone dinged. “My dads are both working tonight and I hate being alone.”

“Yeah, sure!” Kyle nodded happily. “Let me just text my mom.”

Bow nodded, trying to keep his smile from growing too large as he watched Kyle type away on his phone. He found it a bit strange-- he’d only just met Kyle a few days ago, but he already liked him so much. The connection between them was so strong already -- or at least it felt that way on Bow’s end -- and Bow was eager for them to grow even closer. He found he wanted to know everything about Kyle: what his family was like, what his favorite color was, what kind of food he hated, what he wanted to do with his life . . . gosh, Bow had never been so excited to get to know someone before.

“Alright,” Kyle smiled, looking up from his phone, “my mom said it’s okay.”

Bow grinned, “yay!” He opened his arms to hug Kyle, but then remembered how much it had scared him the last time. “Oh, uh, sorry,” he said, dropping his arms.

Kyle blinked, mouth open slightly so his lips just barely curled up. Then, he smiled, and he leaned onto Bow’s torso, wrapping his arms around him as he hummed. It took Bow a bit by surprise, but he soon returned the hug, heart beating faster in his chest.

Nothing could ruin this day.

* * *

 

When they made it back to Bow’s house, the male found himself a bit embarrassed at the messy state of his bedroom. He  _ really  _ should have cleaned it when his dad told him to. Still, something told him Kyle wouldn’t mind too much. God, he already felt like he’d known Kyle forever, and yet there was still so much he needed to know about him.

“Well . . . make yourself comfortable!” Bow smiled, setting his bag down. “We have snacks, if you’re hungry.”

“O-oh, no, I’m fine--”

“Kyle,” Bow said very seriously, holding Kyle’s shoulders. “If you’re hungry, you eat. Don’t worry about being polite.”

Kyle stared at Bow for a moment, then burst into laughter, “o-okay, I . . . I guess I’m hungry, then.”

“Alright!” Bow grinned, dropping his hands. “So, what’s your favorite food, Kyle?”

“Oreos,” Kyle admitted with a slight smirk.

Bow nodded solemnly, “very good choice, I see your palate is  _ very _ refined.” After a moment, they both giggled, and then Bow grabbed Kyle’s hand to rush him into the kitchen.

Bow opened the pantry, his free hand rising to present the shelves to his friend. “Behold, our stash of food! We  _ definitely _ have Oreos.”

Kyle chuckled, more carefree than Bow had ever seen him as he reached down to grab the already-opened container of Oreos, but Bow stopped him from opening them.

“No,” Bow shook his head. “You deserve a new box.”

“Pfft, what?” Kyle rose a brow. “Th-that’s ridiculous. This box only has, like, like, two Oreos eaten out of it.”

“Kyle, Kyle, Kyle,” Bow shushed him, setting down the opened box and grabbing a fresh one. “You gotta let yourself live a little!”

Kyle just chuckled again, opening the box and grabbing an Oreo before he plopped it into his mouth, crumbs sticking to his lips. He finished the first Oreo, then looked at Bow for a moment before he grinned and grabbed another, playfully shoving it into Bow’s mouth. Bow tried not to laugh as he bit on the Oreo, finding the entire situation far too hilarious. Both of them were soon doubled over in laughter, and Bow could barely get himself to say, “come on,” before he grabbed Kyle’s hand again and took him back to his room. The boys crashed onto Bow’s bed, Oreos spilling onto his blanket as they continued to giggle. 

“You have crumbs all over your face,” Kyle chuckled, eating another Oreo.”

“Oh, you’re one to talk,” Bow chuckled, leaning in to brush crumbs off Kyle’s chin, “look at this!”

Kyle’s giggling paused abruptly, but the smile on his face was constant, and Bow found he did the same. After a moment of just staring, Kyle looked away with a blush, grabbing another Oreo, and Bow leaned back again, wondering why every time he interacted with Kyle his heart felt like it was going to burst.

* * *

 

A few hours of video games and conversation later, Bow realized it was starting to get late. Still, he just . . . didn’t want Kyle to go. He was having such a good time. He knew he’d see Kyle at school tomorrow, but . . . 

Kyle yawned, solidifying in Bow’s mind that it was definitely getting too late for Kyle to stay. “I’m getting tired,” he admitted, looking at his phone lazily as he laid down before his gaze trailed to Bow.

Bow gave a small frown, though it was unnoticeable to Kyle. “Yeah, me too . . . I guess you have to go home, right?”

Kyle sighed, “I guess, though I can probably stay another half hour.” His eyes then widened, and he dropped his phone, “u-unless you want me to leave right now!”

“No!” Bow practically shouted. Then he coughed, hand landing gently atop Kyle’s, “no, I-I mean . . . you can stay as long as you want.”

Kyle smiled, cheeks dusted a light pink. “Alright,” he yawned again.

Bow chuckled and pulled his throw blanket over the male, who gave a long laugh.    


“Careful, or . . . or I’ll fall asleep on you,” Kyle joked.

“Ah, I wouldn’t mind,” Bow shrugged. “You deserve the rest.”

Kyle laughed again, rolling over so his head could rest on Bow’s thigh. “This is more comfortable,” he mumbled, eyes closing.

Bow almost snorted, though part of him was afraid to move. Tired Kyle definitely seemed a lot more confident than the nervous Kyle Bow was used to. Or, maybe it was because they’d been hanging out so much? Bow wasn’t sure when the dynamic had changed. 

Still, he liked it.

A few minutes passed, and soon Bow realized Kyle’s breathing had evened out, his body feeling almost limp as it relaxed. He . . . he’d actually fallen asleep. On Bow’s  _ lap. _

Well, Bow was no stranger to cuddling, and especially no stranger to sleepovers.

Slowly, he lifted Kyle’s head, moving it to the pillow. Kyle murmured a bit in his sleep, but he didn’t wake up. Bow grabbed Kyle’s phone and texted his mom that he’d be sleeping over before he set it on the nightstand, going into the bathroom to change into his pajamas before he climbed into bed, making sure not to touch Kyle for fear that he’d freak out when he woke up. Still, Kyle was soon wiggling his way into Bow’s arms again -- whether half asleep or completely unconscious, Bow didn’t know. But he didn’t mind.

This was perfect.


	4. Bow Has a Crush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go to school again, and Bow has a revelation...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took forever, I have a lot going on right now ^^;
> 
> The next chapter will be out as soon as I can write it, and the one after is already written so yay!

When Bow woke up, Kyle was still asleep. He looked like an angel, pink lips parted ever so slightly as he breathed, hair all messy in a way Bow found adorable. (He loved how cute his friends were!) Bow couldn’t help but smile at the sight, heart feeling all fluttery and lovely. He didn’t know  _ how _ he’d woken up before his alarm, but he was glad he did.

Bow got up from the bed, careful not to wake his friend. He stretched out his arms, giving a small yawn before he silenced his alarm, then grabbed his bag and some clothes. He was quick to get dressed in the bathroom, splashing some water on his face to wake himself up fully and combing through his hair a bit with his fingers. He then made his way downstairs to fix up some breakfast for the two of them. His dads were still asleep, as they usually were after long nights, so he didn’t worry about forgetting to ask if he could have anyone sleep over. Really, though, that was just a formality -- anyone was welcome at his house.

Bow hummed as he put some waffles into the toaster, keeping the amount of time before school started in mind while he grabbed some plates and silverware. The waffles popped up just as he was getting the butter out of the microwave, and soon enough he had two plates of waffles, ready to eat.

Satisfied with his work, Bow smiled, turning to go upstairs and wake up Kyle when he saw the teen was already coming down, still looking half-asleep.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Bow chuckled, offering Kyle his plate.

Kyle took the plate and inhaled the wonderful aroma of syrup and waffles, smiling happily before he sat down at the breakfast table. “Morning.”

“Did you sleep well? I know my bed’s kinda small,” Bow apologized, sitting down across from him.

“Yeah . . . “ Kyle nodded, still looking pretty tired. It seemed to Bow that Kyle was the type that took a few minutes to actually wake up. He took a bite of the waffles, humming, “these are really good. Better than Oreos, even.”

“Wow, thanks,” Bow put a hand on his heart, smiling with a fondness that he barely had to fake. “I hope you’re aware they’re just Eggo waffles, though.”

“Still good,” Kyle decided, taking another bite. “I’m . . . sorry I fell asleep on you,” he sighed, looking disappointed in himself. “I really was joking when I said it.”

“Hey, dude, it’s  _ completely _ fine,” Bow took a bite himself, “I love sleepovers.”

Kyle just smiled softly and took another bite, reminding Bow that sleepy Kyle was the best Kyle of them all. He was just so relaxed like this, and everything felt so . . . domestic.

Bow wished he knew why he liked that so much.

“Try not to take too long because school starts in forty minutes,” Bow warned. “I know you didn’t plan on sleeping over, so you can borrow some of my clothes. My pants probably won’t fit you, though, so you’ll probably have to wear the ones you have on.”

“Yeah . . . “ Kyle nodded, then seemed to suddenly snap awake. “Wait-- you want me to wear  _ your clothes _ ?”

“I mean, unless you want to wear what you wore yesterday  _ and _ slept in,” Bow rolled his eyes.

“W-well, no, but . . . “ Kyle bit his lip, then seemed to give up his argument, though his cheeks did seem a little pink.

Bow, however, thought nothing of it. “If you want to borrow a sweatshirt or something, I’m sure it would look good, in a baggy kind of way.”

Kyle stared dreamily at his plate, blushing even more now. “Yeah . . . ”

“Great,” Bow smiled before he took another bite. “By the way, we still on for Friday?”

“Hm?” Kyle looked up, then nodded, “o-oh, yeah, of course! I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Well, you sure seem excited!” Bow noted happily.

“Yeah . . . I, uh, really love tennis,” Kyle said shyly, which made Bow smile. How nice that they shared a common interest!

Soon enough, they were both done eating, and Bow told Kyle to get ready as he washed their dishes. Bow hummed a nameless tune as he scrubbed, getting both of their plates and silverware into the dishwasher within a few minutes. He leaned against the wall, picking up his backpack from the floor when he saw Kyle walking down the stairs and froze.

As it turns out, Bow was  _ not  _ prepared to see Kyle in his sweatshirt.

He was just . . . adorable. That was the only way to put it, really. The sweatshirt was  _ huge _ on Kyle, yet it fit just enough that he’d be able to wear it to school. But . . . it was so cute? Bow could barely register what he was seeing.

“Does this fit okay?” Kyle asked, his bag dragging along the staircase behind him as he looked up.

“U-uh . . . “ Bow blinked, unable to form any coherent words. What the heck was going on with him?

“Bow?” Kyle rose a brow, then he frowned. “I look terrible, don’t I?”

“No!” Bow stood straight up, finally coming to his senses. “No, no, sorry, I . . . “ he wasn’t sure what to say; he didn’t want to sound creepy but Kyle was just plain adorable. Bow felt his cheeks heat up as his gaze drifted to the floor, and unfamiliar feeling of warmness filling his chest. “You look good.”

Kyle seemed to beam at that, the ever-present blush on his cheeks returning as he put on his backpack. “Okay, well . . . we better get to school.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Bow nodded, putting on his backpack. “Come on, I’ll drive us.”

* * *

Kyle brought his knees up to his chest, arms wrapped around the jeans that were half-covered by the sweatshirt. He was gazing dreamily out the window, short hair fluttering ever so slightly because of the air conditioning.

It was hard for Bow to keep his eyes on the road, to be honest, but he managed to do so, softly singing along to the radio as they approached the campus. Trying to find a parking spot was easy enough, but once the car was stopped, Bow didn’t want to get out. It was peaceful here, just in this moment, and Bow didn’t want to leave it. He pulled out the key and shoved it in his pocket, the dangling sound caused by the movement seeming to remind Kyle that they’d arrived. He turned his head to look at Bow, cheeks still a bit pink as he rose a brow, silently asking if they were getting out yet.

After a moment, Bow had to nod, knowing they couldn’t be late for school, and he opened his door, moving around the front to open Kyle’s with a showy smile and a bow. Kyle gave a small chuckle, stepping out of the car and grabbing his bag before Bow shut the door behind him. 

“Last night was fun,” Bow said, breaking the comfortable silence between them. They weren’t walking yet, just standing by his car. He had the feeling he was supposed to make some sort of gesture . . . a hug, maybe?

“It was,” Kyle nodded enthusiastically. “I . . . I’d like to do it again, sometime.”

Bow grinned, then nodded. “Yeah, me too.”

Kyle shifted awkwardly, then quirked his head, “well, we better get walking, then.”

“Oh, yeah.”

The two of them walked to the school, a certain quiet stillness between them that Bow just couldn’t seem to break. Everything with Kyle was just so comfortable, so perfect, but it also made Bow’s heart beat in some erratic way he couldn’t begin to explain. And there was a longing there, a need to do something more than just walk with Kyle. Bow supposed he was just used to being more touchy with his friends … that was probably it. He and Glimmer held hands all the time while walking because Bow know how Glimmer could often express her emotions better through the squeeze of a hand than with words. Maybe he wanted that with Kyle, too? But … Kyle wasn’t like Glimmer. No, he wasn’t anything like Glimmer. There was something else there, yet Bow just couldn’t figure out what it was.

As they entered the school, Bow looked over to Kyle, wondering if he could feel that strange longing, too. The ever-present blush on Kyle’s cheeks and the way his lower lip puffed out just a bit like he was thinking made Bow think he might.

Then, before Bow knew what was happening, they were stopping in the middle of the hallway and Kyle was facing him, grabbing his hands, and looking at them with a fiery intensity Bow had never seen before, lip still puffed out. His face was flaming as he seemed to study Bow’s skin, fingers interlacing experimentally. Bow’s breath was caught in his throat, unable to escape as the moment seemed to still the world around them (despite the many people still walking through the hall). Kyle seemed satisfied staring at their hands, and when he leaned into Bow, hands in between their chests, Bow wasn’t surprised.

Bow gave Kyle’s hand a gentle squeeze, silently telling him this was okay, and he could have sworn Kyle smiled a bit when he squeezed back, though it was hard to tell. The embrace was not so much a hug as it was pressing into each other, as if they were clay perfectly molded to fit just like this, and though Bow didn’t quite understand why Kyle had felt the need to do this, he was thankful for it, even if it was a  _ bit _ unusual.

Eventually, Kyle leaned back again, lowering their hands, though they were still interlaced. “Thank you,” he said softly, blushing like he always did. “Sorry, i-if that was weird or something, just, um, you’re probably my closest friend here and I’m not really sure how to show you that but I thought that was, well, it felt right, so--”

“Kyle,” Bow gave a small chuckle, leaning forward a bit and ignoring how his heart was aching, longing for more. Not just that, it was racing. But . . . that was normal. Totally. “That was fine. I love hugs, and hand-holding, and everything else. Don’t worry about weirding me out.”

Kyle smiled, then looked down at their hands and squeezed. Bow squeezed back, not wanting the moment to end, and suddenly feeling as if Kyle would slip away if he ever let go. His heartbeat grew faster, some tension growing between them that Bow couldn’t name. There was something in his chest, something telling him that if he just leaned forward a little more, if he just tilted his head, if he just brushed his thumb along Kyle’s lip--

The five minute warning bell rang.

“Oh!” Kyle blinked, whatever trance had been keeping them like that breaking. “I . . . “ he slowly slipped his hands out of Bow’s, looking up. “I gotta get to Geometry. I’ll see you later?”

Bow blinked. “Y-yeah.” Why was his heart beating so fast? Why did his head feel light? And  _ what _ had he just been thinking?

Kyle smiled, then ran off, backpack being slung over his shoulder as he waved, looking back with a smile on his face.

Bow waved goodbye with an expression that mirrored Kyle’s, though it soon dropped into a confused frown as he sighed and leaned against the lockers behind him. He just . . . he had to breathe. His heart was racing, and he didn’t know why. He was used to physical contact, heck, he was usually the one to initiate it. So why did this seem so different? And  _ what  _ had he been  _ thinking _ ???

Catra, who had apparently walked up to them at some point, snorted as Kyle moved to turn the corner, twisting her hair around her finger as she did so often. “I have never seen two people so  _ obviously _ into each other-- no,” she corrected herself, nose scrunching up mischievously, “so in  _ love _ , and yet so  _ oblivious _ .”

“Wha--” Bow’s head snapped to Catra, “ _ in love? _ Catra, that’s . . . “

Catra rose a brow, arms crossed now as she waited for him to disagree with a smirk.

Except . . . Bow couldn’t. His mouth physically could not form the words, physically could not made a sound that conveyed in any way that he didn’t  _ at least _ deeply care for Kyle. But . . . why? Kyle was his friend . . . why was it so hard to say that, that he was just his friend? Bow had no idea why . . .

Except, he did. Because his heart was racing. Because his stomach felt like butterflies. Because he’d just held hands with Kyle, and thought about . . . about  _ kissing him. _ Because Kyle was amazing, and adorable, and lovable, and . . . 

And Bow had a crush on him.

“Oh my God . . . “ Bow breathed, eyes widening.

Catra just snorted again, “took you long enough. And it’s only been, what, a week?”

“Oh my God . . . “ his hand rose to grab at his hair, as if that could do anything to help him.

Catra rolled her eyes, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “Better get to class, Bow,” she booped his nose, then began to walk away. “Don’t want to be late.”

And with that, she was gone, and Bow was left to contemplate what he’d just realized.

He had . . . a  _ crush _ .

On  _ Kyle _ .


	5. Uh Oh, Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In light of his new feelings, Bow makes the genius decision to avoid Kyle ... things go as well as you'd expect.

How was Bow supposed to act now that he knew his feelings for Kyle were . . . a little more than platonic? How was he supposed to look him in the eye and tell him anything, to touch even his arm, to get close without thinking about what he could do if he  _ just leaned forward _ ?

No, this was absolutely insane. Bow had developed crushes before, of course (remember his semi-disastrous homecoming date?), but this one just seemed . . . different. And no, it wasn’t because it was on a guy. Bow had accepted that he liked just about everyone when he was twelve (having two dads sort of helped with that, no internalized homophobia needed). So, it wasn’t that . . . but  _ something _ about Kyle was different than everyone else, something that made Bow’s heart beat exponentially fast, something that caused him to freeze at the mere sight of the teen, something that seemed to make his entire being feel complete . . . unless he wasn’t around.

Needless to say, all of this was kind of freaking Bow out.

He at least knew he wouldn’t be seeing Kyle until gym class . . . which was second period. The very thought almost sent Bow into a panic as he tried to think of any way he could interact with Kyle now without giving away his feelings.

He’d never felt so strongly about somebody he’d met barely a week ago, and that alone was enough to make him want to skip school for the rest of his life . . . or, until he could figure out how to act normal. Because, although he hadn’t seen Kyle since he realized his feelings, he was sure there was no way he could be around him without either freaking out or slipping up and revealing himself.

Maybe . . . maybe he should just avoid Kyle? Just until he could get ahold of himself, until he could figure out how to speak to Kyle without blurting “I have a crush on you”, how to look at him without thinking “I want to kiss you”. Though, if Bow had any experience with crushes, he knew the thoughts wouldn’t go away for a while, no matter what he did.

In any case, his English teacher was handing out what looked to be a pretty long reading that had to be finished by the end of class, which meant he wasn’t going to be able to think about this for much longer. So, to save himself and his English grade, he decided that avoidance was the best plan for now.

Hopefully, it would work.

* * *

Gym class, now the hardest part of Bow’s day, was  _ not  _ going smoothly.

When he walked in, Kyle waved to him, but Bow only looked down and continued walking, not trusting himself to even wave back. When the teacher called roll, Bow kept his eyes focused on the wall, instead of on Kyle, who was staring right into his soul. When it was time to change, and Kyle made a beeline straight for Bow, his excited little smile looking like it might crack any second now, Bow knew he couldn’t do this. If he spoke to Kyle, he had no doubt that he would give something away. And so, though it felt wrong to do so, he ignored his friend and changed as quickly as he could.

And then, the teacher announced that they’d be playing one-on-one badminton with a partner of their choosing. And though Bow saw Kyle look at him, a glimmer of hope in his eyes that broke Bow’s heart to look at, Bow chose Adora to play with.

It was then that Bow realized avoiding Kyle was so much worse than talking to him.

“Bow, are you doing okay?” Adora asked as she served, eyes following the shuttlecock as it soared towards Bow.

“Uh, yeah?” Bow answered, hitting the shuttlecock right back. “Uh, why? Have you . . . am I acting different?”

Adora’s brows lowered and her lips pursed for a moment as she made another successful hit, “well … sort of. It seems like you and Kyle might be having a fight.”

Bow’s eyes widened, and he missed the shuttlecock, sighing as he picked it up off the ground. “No, we aren’t fighting . . . I’m,” he stood, throwing the shuttlecock in the air before he served, “I’m sort of . . . avoiding him?”

“What?” Adora rose a brow, hitting back, “why?”

“Weellllll . . . “ Bow drew out the word, swinging his racquet, “uh, I may have realized I have . . . feelings for him.”

Adora gasped, eyes widening. This time, it was her who missed. “Oh, Bow! That’s amazing! Agh, you two would be such a cute couple!” She was smiling as she reached down to pick up the shuttlecock, though she soon frowned. “Wait . . . why are you avoiding him, then?”

Bow only sighed, not quite knowing how to explain himself. “I don’t know . . . it’s dumb, really. I’m just so worried I’ll accidentally let him know how I feel and . . . ugh,” he groaned, grabbing at his hair.

Adora looked at him for a moment, then crossed her arms. “Bow, if you like him, then you definitely  _ shouldn’t _ avoid him. It’s obviously not making you feel good, and . . . “ her eyes trailed off to the other side of the gym, where Bow could guess Kyle was playing. They snapped back to Bow, a sad understanding in them, “well, I don’t think it’s making him very happy, either.”

Bow blinked at that, standing up a bit straighter as he barely resisted the urge to turn and look at Kyle for himself. Shit, was he hurting Kyle by doing this? No, he shouldn’t even ask that, of course he was. How could he have let his cowardice control him like this, in a way that would obviously hurt Kyle?

Bow groaned, hands pulling down on his face. “Adora, I’m such an idiot . . . “

Adora only shrugged, as if that was obvious. “You need to talk to him after class, Bow. You don’t have to tell him everything, but if this goes on any longer, I’m pretty sure one of you is going to have a heart attack.”

“Noted,” Bow sighed, trying to piece together in his mind just how badly he’d messed up.

* * *

“Bow . . . “ he heard Kyle’s voice behind him after class as he tied his shoes, tone shy and timid. “Are . . . are you mad at me?”

Bow froze, hearing that, his mind filled with only “oh  _ no _ ” repeating over and over, unsure how to respond now. He’d messed up. He’d really messed up.

Bow turned around, wanting to fix all this, but one look at Kyle’s face -- his eyes were glossy, as if he might cry, his lips were quivering, and his brows were lowered slightly, as if to cover his eyes -- was enough to make Bow inhale sharply, tears stinging at his eyes as his stupidity sunk in fully.

He wanted to step forward, to hug Kyle, but he knew he had to say something first. But . . . how could he explain this? How could he keep Kyle from hating him forever because of what he’d done?

He sure as hell didn’t know how to do any of that, but . . . there was something he could say to start.

“No,” he said, though it wasn’t enough. “No, no, no, Kyle, I . . . I could never be mad at you.”

Kyle looked relieved, though he frowned when he asked, “then . . . why--”

“I’m an idiot,” Bow said, taking a step forward. “I . . . I was trying to figure something out for myself, and I was scared, and . . . I-I hurt you. I didn’t mean to, Kyle, I’m . . . so sorry.”

Kyle looked at him for a moment, as if trying to figure out what that all meant, why Bow would be scared, why he would ignore him, what he was so worried about. And then, Kyle smiled softly, lifting his hand and holding it out to Bow. 

“I forgive you,” he said, palm up for Bow to take. “I get it, I do stupid things, too. I can tell you’re sorry . . . so, just don’t do it again, okay?”

“Never,” Bow promised, taking Kyle’s hand and giving it a light squeeze. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“I know,” Kyle said. “It’s okay.”

Bow pulled him in for a hug, then, deciding then and there that even if Kyle found out about his crush, he would be fine, because there was absolutely nothing worse than what he’d just done.

“Kyle, I--”

“I know,” Kyle said again, and Bow wondered if he really did.

“Yeah, but . . . “ Bow sighed, holding Kyle a bit tighter. “Kyle, you’re amazing, okay? I messed up by hurting you. But . . . if anyone hurts you and isn’t this sorry about it?” Bow shook his head, unable to imagine it. “Drop them.”

For a moment, there was silence, and Bow wondered if maybe he was being a  _ little _ dramatic (okay, he was, but still!) And then, Kyle started laughing. Bow was taken aback, blinking as he broke away a bit from Kyle, though his arms still wrapped around him. There were tears in Kyle’s eyes, though Bow couldn’t tell what they were from, and he wiped one away with his finger as he laughed, that amazing sound ringing through the locker room.

“Kyle?” Bow raised a brow, wondering what could be so funny.

“Sorry, sorry … “ Kyle sighed, then looked up at Bow, a soft smile gracing his lips. “Just . . . it’s  _ okay _ . I got  _ you _ now, right? My standards are high.”

Bow took a moment to process what that meant --  _ he’d _ raised Kyle’s standards? Kyle didn’t hate him at all? -- and finally, he smiled, pulling Kyle back in for a quick hug before he parted from him.

“Alright, well . . . we better get to our next classes,” he suggested, and Kyle nodded.

“Yeah, we better.”

* * *

 

During lunch, everything seemed fine as Bow waited for Kyle to go through the line. Glimmer was ranting about something that had happened in her Government class as Adora and Catra created some over-the-top flirting competition between them. Bow barely paid attention to any of it, giving Glimmer distracted responses whenever she asked him something. Mostly, he said yes so she’d know he was on her side and move on to her next point. He wasn’t usually like that with his friends, but after everything that had happened . . . well, he was just a bit anxious to see Kyle, was all. Part of him was afraid Kyle had thought it over and decided to hate him, and the other part was afraid of how he’d act around him if he didn’t. What if he accidentally said something flirty? What if he gave away his feelings? Or, what if, by trying to hide his feelings, he hurt Kyle again?

Ugh, he’d liked his life a lot more when he wasn’t aware of how he felt.

Soon enough, Kyle was walking up to them, looking pretty happy for someone who’d been ignored by his best friend. Bow reminded himself (again) that Kyle had forgiven him, letting himself smile as Kyle approached.

“Hey!” he greeted, trying to study Kyle’s expression and body language to make sure everything was cool between them.

“Hey,” Kyle smiled, sitting down in his usual seat next to Bow. “So, I saw this post online . . . “

And just like that, they were back to normal.

_ It shouldn’t be this easy! _ His brain argued.  _ He should still be upset! _

And yet, Kyle wasn’t upset, not in the slightest. Or at least, if he was, he didn’t show it at all. And so, Bow told the thoughts to go away, forcing himself to think happy thoughts instead, like how grateful he was that Kyle harbored no bad feelings about the situation. He was lucky, for sure.

At some point when Bow was talking to Kyle, Glimmer stood up, announcing she was going back to class to get a headstart on a project she had due tomorrow. She looked at Bow and asked him, “so, we still on for Friday?”

Bow nodded, giving her a thumbs up before turning back to Kyle, who was excitedly telling him about a new webcomic he’d discovered. Kyle’s smile was so cute …

“What?” Kyle blinked, stopping mid-sentence to raise a brow at Bow.

Wait . . . had he said that out loud?

“Uhhhhhh!” Bow’s eyes widened, heart racing as he panicked, trying to think of a way to recover from that.

“You . . . “ Kyle was blushing now, then he looked away. “Um, never mind.”

Bow blinked, wondering what that was about, and if Kyle’s blushing meant anything, before he just laughed, “so, uh, as you were saying?”

Kyle looked back up and smiled, albeit a bit shyly, before he picked up where he’d left off. Still, his blush was barley fading, and the way he spoke seemed almost more careful than before

_ What if it’s because he likes me? _ Bow thought, the very idea making his heart beat just a bit faster.  _ No … I'm probably just reading into things. _

_...Right? _


	6. Finally Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Friday! Time for Bow to finally teach Kyle some tennis moves...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been waiting to post this chapter since the very first! Everything has been leading up to this ... but there's still more to come ;)

"Bow, I can't believe this!" Glimmer huffed angrily through the phone. "You promised we'd hang out today!"

"I know," Bow responded, leaning against the wall behind him, "but I forgot I'd already told Kyle I would show him some tennis moves!"   


Bow was waiting for Kyle to finish changing into the tennis uniform he had found for him (it made tennis more fun and official, in Bow's opinion), and apparently Bow’s short time away from him had set off Glimmer's best friend senses to call before she was out of time to complain. Bow had to admit she had a point in being upset, but he was always annoyed by just how angry she got when he hung out with somebody more than her. She always assumed he was trying to replace her (he wasn't) and did a pretty bad job at articulating that. It was a miracle he'd figured it out in middle school. But this time, he’d already made prior commitments! Admittedly, he was distracted when he agreed to hang out with her on Friday, but . . . well, he wasn’t perfect!   
  
"Ugh, you've been hanging out with Kyle like . . . every day this week!" she complained, obviously frustrated. "I thought we were supposed to be best friends. What am I supposed to do, stay at home with my _ mom _ all weekend?"   
  
"I'm sorry if I've been blowing you off," Bow apologized, "but we'll hang out on tomorrow. I'm not canceling our movie nights, okay? It's just . . . Kyle doesn't have a lot of friends, and . . . I feel bad about leaving him alone."  _ Especially since I did that myself the other day, _ he thought, then frowned.   
  
After a moment, he heard Glimmer sigh, "okay, whatever. That's fine. Just . . .  _ promise me  _ we'll hang out more soon?"   
  
"Of course," Bow promised. "I'm not forgetting you, Glimmer. Just trying to help him get adjusted. And hey, maybe all four of us can hang out, soon! You know, you, me, him, and Adora?"   
  
"Yeah, you're right, that could be fun," Glimmer reluctantly admitted. "I just . . . miss you. And your dads' cooking. How do they  _ both _ make such good food?"   
  
"Family secret," Bow chuckled.   
  
"Yeah, sure," he could practically  _ hear _ the eye roll. "Why do I suspect that's your answer to anything amazing your dads can do?"   
  
Bow was about to respond, but he found the words died in his throat before they even made it out. Because Kyle was walking out of the locker room, and  _ boy _ did he look good in a polo shirt. Dammit, why did this always happen?!   
  
"Bow?" Glimmer called for his attention, but the male barely registered her words.   
  
Kyle walked awkwardly, trying to pull the bottoms of his shorts down as if that would make them longer. He looked up as he approached Bow, "hey, Bow, are the shorts supposed to be so . . . short?"   
  
Bow hung up his phone call, shoving the device in his pocket as he gave an awkward chuckle and tried to ignore how hot his cheeks were, "uh, y-yeah, that's how they're . . . supposed to look. You . . . you look nice in the uniform."   
  
"Thanks," Kyle responded softly, biting his lip. "I . . . I thought I might join the team, if I'm any good at this."   
  
"Oh, I'm sure you'll be great!" Bow said enthusiastically, trying not to notice how Kyle's hair was tousled in what must have been the cutest way possible. "It's not too hard once you get the hang of it."   
  
"Yeah, well . . . I'm kind of clumsy," Kyle admitted. "Not very good with coordination."   
  
"Don't doubt yourself," Bow grinned, "I'm sure you'll be amazing."   


* * *

So . . . Kyle hadn’t been lying when he said he was clumsy.   
  
He hadn't hit a single ball in the ten minutes they'd been practicing, and Bow could tell he was becoming pretty disappointed in himself. Obviously, their current method of Bow serving and Kyle trying to hit it back wasn't working.    
  
"Okay," Bow sighed, lowering his racket. "Let's try this from another angle."   
  
"I don't know, Bow," Kyle shifted his weight, "I don't think I'm very good at this."   
  
"Just . . . " Bow lifted the net to duck under it, popping up in front of Kyle, “can I try something?"   
  
Kyle hesitated for a moment before he nodded, and Bow walked behind him. Kyle moved to turn, but Bow shook his head, guiding him back into place. He could tell Kyle was confused, but he went on, standing directly behind Kyle now. Bow wrapped his arms around the male, holding his wrists so as to guide his arms. Kyle tensed, but seemed to relax a bit when Bow rubbed his thumb softly along his wrist bone.

“Is this okay?” Bow asked, voice soft since Kyle was so close. He knew that, for him, this was setting off just about every alarm in his brain, but he at least knew what he was doing. But if he was making Kyle uncomfortable (or, if there was a chance Kyle actually liked him back) then Bow would figure out something else.

“Y-yeah,” Kyle nodded quickly.

Okay, so this was fine. This was . . . fine. They were just close . . . 

"Alright, when you hit the ball, you want your arm to first extend, like this," Bow began, leading Kyle's arm into the correct position with his racket. "Then, when you make contact, you have to swing," he guided his arm back up, "and follow all the way through," he ended, stopping Kyle's arm so it was parallel with his chest.   
  
Kyle nodded, turning his head to the side a bit as if to look at Bow, "o-okay," he breathed, "got it."

. . . They were  _ really _ close.   
  
"A-and when you're trying to hit the ball, you can't just flail your racket around," Bow continued. "Keep your eye on it and swing your arm so it hits where you're looking." He took Kyle through the motions again, still relatively slow but faster than the first time, and Kyle seemed to be following along pretty smoothly. “You can do it starting from your chest, too . . . “ Bow continued, moving his arms along the opposite way, “same motions, just the other way around. Do whatever feels best for you in the moment.”   
  
"Yeah . . . " Kyle nodded, breath a little shaky, "okay. Thank you."   
  
Bow smiled softly, gently releasing his hold once they'd finished the motion again and Kyle dropped his arm, slowly turning to look up at him. "I . . . "   
  
Bow raised a brow, a million scenarios going through his mind about what Kyle was about to say, even if most of them made no sense.  _ They were really close. _   
  
"I, uh, think you can try throwing the ball again," Kyle said, face a bit pinker than usual. (Though, Bow wasn’t sure if Kyle’s face was ever  _ not _ pink . . . at least, not around him.)

(. . .)

(That didn’t mean anything . . . did it?)   
  
"Right," Bow nodded after a moment, ducking under the net again to take his position. "Alright, you ready?"   
  
Kyle straightened up a bit, grip tightening on his racket before he nodded. "Yes."   
  
Bow threw the ball into the air, swiftly hitting it with his racket and causing a satisfying  _ woosh _ in the air. The ball traveled over the net and he could see Kyle's arm moving, just in the motion they'd practiced as his racket made perfect contact with the ball and hit it back. Kyle's expression immediately changed from anxious to beaming, a smile dominating his face as his brows lifted. He'd done it, he'd actually hit the ball!   
  
The only problem was, Bow was so proud and impressed by Kyle's improvement that he'd forgotten to catch or return the ball . . . and it hit him square in the jaw.   
  
" _ Ow _ !" Bow winced, rubbing his jaw as the ball rolled away. What was it with Kyle and distracting him from the basics of tennis?   
  
"Oh my God, Bow! I'm so sorry!" Kyle's eyes widened as he began to run over.   
  
"No, no," Bow waved him off with the hand not cradling his jaw. "It's fine, I'm fine. I got distracted, sorry."   
  
"Yes, but . . . " Kyle was by his side now, looking at his jaw even though it was covered, "I can't believe I keep getting you hurt like this!"   
  
Bow let his hand fall, "hey, dude, it's really fine. And you’ve only hurt me, like, twice. And it just hurt for a second! I'm already feeling better," he reassured the male, offering him a smile. Which . . . kinda hurt. But only a little. Or maybe more than a little, but he wasn't about to make Kyle worried.   
  
However, Kyle's eyes only widened again and he gave a small gasp, his hand instantly going up to brush Bow's jaw. "You . . . it's all red, though! I think it's going to bruise!"   
  
Now, Bow was feeling all kinds of things at this point. He wasn't sure what was winning, the pain in his jaw or the ache in his heart from seeing Kyle so upset.    
  
"Hey, Kyle," Bow let his hand rest on Kyle's, a sign he was okay and not upset, "I'll be okay. It was just an accident, and it was my fault for being distracted. You don't have to worry."   
  
Kyle just looked at him for a moment, eyes searching for . . . something. He looked almost heartbroken, and then nodded slowly, seeming to realize it wasn't that bad. He then moved his hand to grab Bow's, bringing them both down as his brows lowered in a serious manner.   
  
"Come on, let's at least get you an ice pack so it doesn't bruise too much," Kyle said, tugging Bow's hand for him to follow. Bow smiled softly and nodded, letting Kyle lead him to the nurse's office.

* * *

The ice felt like Heaven to Bow's skin. He gave a soft hum as Kyle pressed the pack onto his face. Kyle's expression was one of sheer determination, as if he could get the already-forming bruise to disappear if he just stared at it hard enough. The entire ordeal was, not so surprisingly, quite intimate, as they were kind of squished together on the nurse's cot in order for Kyle to keep the ice on his jaw. Bow knew he could have easily done this himself, but he could tell Kyle would hate himself if he didn't do something to help, and so, here they were.   
  
Bow tried to ignore how he could feel Kyle's breath on his cheek and neck as he held the ice pack in place with a perfect stillness he was afraid to break, tried to ignore how his chest danced at the feeling of him being so close. Honestly, these feelings were getting out of hand . . . it was overwhelming, along with the pain in his jaw and the thoughts racing through his mind, and he didn’t know what to do.

"How come you were distracted?" Kyle asked, looking up from Bow's bruise and into his eyes.   
  
"Well . . . " Bow paused for a moment, not sure what to say. "I guess I was just so happy you hit the ball that I forgot . . . about the ball."   
  
Kyle gave a small, playful scoff. "I'm really that bad at tennis, huh?"   
  
"No, no, I just . . . " Bow's finger made swirls on the cot, "you looked so proud of yourself."   
  
"Oh," Kyle blinked, looking back at his jaw for a moment. "Well, I guess you showing me how to do it really helped me."   
  
"It was nothing," Bow waved his hand for emphasis, looking up. "You're the one who hit the ball."   
  
"Yeah . . . " Kyle frowned a bit, "right into your face . . . "   
  
"I told you, it's okay," Bow reassured him. "Besides, it was a powerful swing. You did good."   
  
"Thanks," Kyle gave a shy smile. "You know, I think you're the only person who's ever believed in me."

Bow froze. That right there? That was just unacceptable. And Glimmer wondered why Bow spent so much time with him???

"Well . . . then everyone else needs to open their eyes," Bow said simply. "You're . . . pretty amazing."   
  
"At tennis?"   
  
"At  _ everything _ ."   
  
"I . . . I wouldn't say that."   
  
"No," Bow insisted, grabbing Kyle's hand. "You really are.” Maybe what he was about to say was a bit more than platonic on his end . . . but Kyle didn’t know that (or at least, Bow hoped he didn’t). And, Bow felt like Kyle needed to hear it. 

“I like the way you talk,” Bow said, “how excited you get about the things you like. And how you keep trying, even when you don't think you can do it. You always get back up, every time. And all the awesome stuff you know about sci-fi and comic books, and your theories on the latest Marvel movies . . . it's all so interesting. You're so fun to talk to. And, like, do you see how fast you run? I know you said you don't like the pressure of track, but you're really good."   
  
Kyle seemed at a loss for words, mouth open in a small ‘o’ as he looked into Bow's eyes, then looked down at their hands for a moment. Bow's heart seemed to pound as the full realization sunk in that he'd made this a  _ lot _ more intimate now, and Kyle looked up at him again.    
  
And then, Kyle took the ice off Bow's jaw, setting it down before cupping his cheek in the same exact place with a cold hand. There was no way what Bow thought was happening was happening. He leaned forward, slowly -- there’s  _ no way _ this was happening -- and the last thing Bow saw before his eyes slowly closed was Kyle’s doing the same.  _ There’s no way this was happening.  _ There was a fluttering in Bow's chest before a smooth and soft feeling graced his lips. Holy shit,  _ this was happening. _ Bow squeezed Kyle's hand and kissed him softly. His other hand moved up to cup the hand on his jaw, just as it had a few minutes ago in the gym. Their kisses --  _ MULTIPLE KISSES _ \-- were long and chaste, and so much better than anything Bow could have imagined . . . God, was this  _ happening _ .

They parted slowly, noses brushing a bit awkwardly as they stayed pressed together, and Bow saw Kyle grinning as he looked up, moving his head back just a bit so he could see Bow's face. Bow mirrored his smile and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, humming again.    
  
"That was . . . " Kyle began, unsure how to finish the thought.   
  
"Nice," Bow finished for him, and Kyle hummed in response.    
  
"I . . . " Kyle looked up, "I really like you, Bow. You're not like anybody I've ever met."   
  
"Neither are you," Bow told him. "And . . . I like you, too. A lot."   
  
"Then, are we . . . ?" Kyle trailed off with a blush, as if embarrassed to finish.   
  
"If you want to be," Bow offered him a soft smile, secretly hoping Kyle would want this as much as he did.   
  
Kyle only smiled and kissed him again, which Bow took as a yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


End file.
